Sport Science, Health and Nutrition BSc (Hons)
- Level(s) of Study: Undergraduate
- Typical Offer: 104 - 112 UCAS tariff points
- UCAS Code(s): CB64 (full-time); 350P (sandwich)
- Start Date(s): September 2024
- Duration: Three years full-time / four years with placement
- Study Mode(s): Full-time
- Campus: Clifton Campus
Introduction:
Nothing is more important than our wellbeing. But for many of us, modern life stands in the way of taking proper care of ourselves – from an increase in desk jobs and working from home, to the rising culture of convenience foods.
Sports science, health and nutrition targets everyone, from schoolchildren to the elderly, and from the most inactive members of our community to performance athletes at the top of their game. On one hand, it’s about encouraging healthy habits, combating poor diets, and sharing the benefits of physical activity with people far and wide. On the other, it’s about delving into sports psychology, physiology and culture; interrogating the relationship between nutrition and exercise performance at elite levels; and devising innovative techniques and diet plans to maximise athletes’ success.
On this course, you’ll take a holistic approach to sport and wellbeing, and work with real people to revolutionise their lifestyles. You’ll transfer your learning from the classroom into the community, turn culinary concepts into kitchen creations, and apply new practices to performance athletes’ routines.
Why study this course?
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We’re top 20 in the UK for teaching quality in Sport Science (Times Good University Guide 2024). -
Apply your learning and revitalise the lifestyles of our students, staff and local communities. -
This course is supported by over 25 health-related organisations and endorsed by SENR. -
Become a qualified personal trainer alongside your degree.
What you’ll study
BSc Sport Science, Health and Nutrition at NTU covers all bases in the field. You’ll unpack the psychology behind people’s behaviour and attitudes towards sport and health, investigate the anatomy and physiology behind exercise, and explore the biological functions of the nutrients we consume. You’ll make a tangible difference to people’s lives as you learn, applying your knowledge to live briefs from within NTU and set by our partner organisations.
From Year Two onwards, you’ll benefit from an extensive range of optional modules – covering topics from sociological and cultural approaches to sport and health, to the biology and physiology behind exercise – allowing you to tailor your degree and home in on your chosen career path.
You’ll also have the opportunity to get a Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) Personal Trainer qualification alongside your degree.
Study highlights include:
- Investigate key topics in sport sciences for health, like nutrition, physiology, psychology and sociology.
- Gain crucial work-like experience with our dedicated Sport and Wellbeing Academy, where you’ll take real clients through a 12-week exercise programme and offer nutrition advice, guided by experienced industry professionals.
- Get hands-on and develop your physiology testing skills in our high-tech laboratories.
- Expand your industry network as you work on live briefs set by organisations like the NHS, Nottingham City Council and Healthy Eating Solutions Ltd.
- Work with NTU Health Promotion Specialists on real-life briefs to improve the health of NTU students and staff.
- Get additional qualifications alongside your degree, like a Diploma in Professional Practice during a placement year, and a Personal Trainer certification with CIMPSA.
- Boost your employability further by learning a language alongside your sports nutrition studies on our University Language Programme (ULP).
Here’s a full breakdown of your modules.
Introduction to Sport and Exercise Physiology
This module provides the foundations of the key human systems (anatomical and physiological) and their responses and adaptations to sports and exercise.
Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology
Examine the psychological consequences of engaging in sport and exercise and the mental factors that impact quality sport and exercise experiences.
Food and Healthy Eating
You will study the basic principles of food microbiology, nutrition and health claims, and health promotion, as well as learning how to develop effective community healthy eating interventions.
Sport Culture and Society: a critical introduction
Explore the importance of the social sciences in understanding sports and in the education of every sports professional.
Foundation Nutrition
Learn the essential principles and concepts of nutrition, focusing on the structure and function of nutrients, the effects of consumption and the methods for assessing nutritional intake and status.
Developing Academic and Research Skills
Core modules
Behaviour Change, Physical Activity and Health
Learn about evidence, methods and theory in relation to changing and maintaining behaviour(s) relevant to health and well-being.
Exercise and Health Physiology
Explore how exercise physiology can be used in assessing, preventing, and treating disease and poor health, including risk assessment and exercise screening, assessing health using simple, cost-effective testing procedures and measuring physical activity and sedentary behaviour.
Applied Nutrition
This provides an opportunity to apply your knowledge of nutrition to a range of different circumstances across the lifespan.
Sport and Exercise Nutrition
Understand the role nutrition has on an athlete’s performance. You’ll study the physiological and biochemical processes the human body performs to access the nutritional components of the food we eat. Following an evaluation of dietary needs, you’ll be able to design a nutritional plan to optimise training and performance in sport at all levels.
Integrated Applied and Professional Skills
Using inquiry-based learning, students will continue to learn about the research process and gain an understanding and experience of how research is conducted within the field of exercise, nutrition and health.
Optional modules
Applied Sport and Exercise Physiology
This module outlines, theoretically and practically, how bouts of physical exercise alter the body’s structures and functions and how these concepts can be applied to training to enhance exercise tolerance and sport performance.
Practical Applications in Sport and Exercise Psychology
In this module, students develop the principles from Foundations in Sport and Exercise Psychology and relate them to sport, coaching, management and exercise contexts.
Sociology of Sport, Health and the Body
Explore the fundamental concepts across the sociologies of sport, health, and the body, including emotion, physical culture, vulnerable bodies and why we work out.
Optional year-long work placement. If you are not taking a placement, you will progress directly to your final year in year three.
Core modules
Current Topics in Sport and Exercise Nutrition
Aetiology and Management of Disease
Starting with a review of the research techniques involved, emphasis is placed on the aetiological roles of physical activity / exercise and nutrition and how they are used to manage the disease.
Applied Topics in Exercise Nutrition and Health
Explore the current topics in nutrition and health through group discussions, guest lectures, debates, workshops, and journal clubs. You'll also develop your professional skills by enhancing your communications methods for health promotion, applying good clinical practice and studying current legislation.
Sport Project and Dissertation
You will produce original and independent work in a specialist area of sport science, coaching, exercise science or sport and leisure management, depending on your focus.
Optional modules
Contemporary Issues in the Sociology of Sport: Cross-Cultural Perspectives
This module seeks to situate sport within a broad consideration of global processes, practices and consequences.
Sport, Exercise and the Brain
You'll explore how psychological factors, such as self-control, affect exercise adherence and sporting performance. Additionally, you will examine how physical activity and exercise affect psychophysiological outcomes, such as cognitive function and mental health.
Strength, Power and Endurance for Sport and Exercise
The module typically focuses on six topics related to applied exercise physiology and strength and conditioning research.
Don’t just take our word for it, hear from our students themselves
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How you’re taught
How will I learn?
Our sports science department comprises a team of experts with decades of experience between them, ranging from long-time industry professionals to academic researchers. You’ll be taught by the impressive minds behind NTU’s life-changing research, and working with the very same facilities and equipment they use.
This BSc Sport Science, Health and Nutrition course is endorsed by the British Dietetic Association’s Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register (SENR), guaranteeing high-quality learning and making you eligible to apply to the SENR Graduate Register after completing an appropriate postgraduate qualification.
You’ll learn through a mix of:
- lectures, covering the key theories and most pressing issues in sports nutrition and exercise science
- seminars, which are smaller-group sessions perfect for collaborative working and learning new skills
- practical workshops using our extensive range of industry-standard facilities
- external visits to the organisations which set your live briefs.
Contact hours
- Year 1 - lectures/seminars/workshops (26%) and independent study (74%)
- Year 2 - lectures/seminars/workshops (24%) and independent study (76%)
- Year 3 - lectures/seminars/workshops (18%) and independent study (82%)
You may choose to take a placement year between Year Two and your final year.
How you’re assessed
People excel in different ways, and we want everyone to have the best possible chance of success. That’s why we’ve adopted a range of assessment types on this course, including:
- coursework, including group projects, case studies, dissertation and other assignments
- practical assessments, such as individual and group presentations, laboratory assessments and lab reports
- written exams and multiple-choice tests.
Careers and employability
As physical inactivity and poor nutrition rise, so does the demand for our BSc Sport Science, Health and Nutrition graduates.
This isn’t just any sports science degree: the broad and flexible nature of this course can lead to a wide range of roles across the health and fitness sector, where you can continue to make a positive difference to communities and individuals. With work-like experience built into your course and countless opportunities for career development, you’ll graduate as a competent, confident and highly desirable candidate to employers.
Our graduates have previously secured roles such as:
- Dietetic Assistant Practitioner
- Health Adviser
- Health and Wellbeing Coach
- Nutritional Analyst
- Personal Trainer
- Healthy Lifestyle Practitioner
The organisations they work for include the NHS, Nutracheck, BUPA, Nuffield Health, Nottingham Forest Football Club, Derby City Council, DW Sports Ltd and Waitrose.
Sport and Wellbeing Academy
Our Sport and Wellbeing Academy offers additional work-like experience opportunities for our sports nutrition students, with the help of our tremendous community partners. You'll get the chance to work alongside our experienced Senior Exercise Practitioners to deliver programmes which help improve the health and wellbeing of local people. Find out more about the Academy.
Placements
As a BSc Sport Science, Health and Nutrition student, you can complete a year-long placement (or ‘sandwich year’) after Year Two, on a paid or voluntary basis. This is a very popular route and an excellent way to gain the vital work experience that employers look for and expand your industry network. In fact, it’ll make you twice as likely to be in employment six months after graduation.
We’ll support you throughout your placement, and you’ll be able to complete a Diploma in Professional Practice while you work.
Our most recent placement students have worked at organisations like:
- NHS
- Nova Centurion Swimming Club
- Samworth Brothers
- Wholygreens
- ABP Food Group
- Identity Agency
Employability and NTU Enterprise
You’ll be supported by our award-winning Employability team up until three years after graduation, and be able to access our online career resources for life. If you’re thinking of turning your sports nutrition and fitness expertise into a business, NTU Enterprise can help turn your plans into reality. Find out more about our Employability offer.
Campus and facilities
You’ll mainly be based across our community-driven Clifton Campus, where you’ll get hands-on with the same industry-standard facilities used by our academic researchers, including:
- Sport, exercise and health physiology laboratories, fully equipped with specialist facilities that cater for different types of exercise testing and physical activity.
- Clifton Sports Hub Nutrition Suite, in which you will develop your cooking skills and deliver cook-and-eat sessions.
- IT, Sports Psychology and Management suites, used for nutritional, statistical, match and coaching analysis.
- British Olympic Association (BOA) Approved Environmental Chamber, which can simulate climates anywhere in the world, from Everest to Egypt, and has been used by Olympic athletes for acclimatisation to extreme competition environments.
Find out more about our sports science facilities.
There are also over 40 sports clubs to get involved with during your time at NTU, allowing you to discover new passions, integrate with our sporting community, and even apply some of your learning to your own pastimes.
To keep you busy outside of your studies, our Clifton Campus is just a short bus ride away from Nottingham’s vibrant city centre, where you can enjoy lush green spaces and shopping by day, and an acclaimed food, drink and social scene by night. What’s more, you’ll be within easy reach of four internationally-renowned sporting venues, including two major football stadiums (City Ground and Meadow Lane), Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, and the National Ice Centre (home to Nottingham Panthers ice hockey club).
Entry requirements
- Standard offer: 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications, including A-level equivalent a PE or Science subject*
- Contextual offer: 104 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications, including A-level equivalent a PE or Science subject*
*If you are applying with a BTEC Extended Certificate (previously BTEC Subsidiary Diploma), you will also need an A-level in a science subject or equivalent. We will accept Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Sport Studies or Psychology.
Contextual offers
A lower offer may be made based on a range of factors, including your background (such as where you live and the school or college you attended), your experiences and individual circumstances (you may have been in care, for example). This is called a contextual offer; we get data from UCAS to make these decisions. NTU offers a student experience like no other. This approach helps us find students who have the potential to succeed here but may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university. Find out how we assess your application.
Other qualifications and experience
We may also consider credits achieved at other universities and your work/life experience through an assessment of prior learning. This may be for year one entry or beyond the beginning of a course where applicable, for example, into year 2. Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route.
Meeting our entry requirements
Hundreds of qualifications in the UK have UCAS tariff points attached to specific grades, including A levels, BTECs, T Levels and many more. You can use your grades and points from up to four different qualifications to meet our criteria. Enter your predicted or achieved grades into our tariff calculator to find out how many points your qualifications are worth.
Getting in touch
If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form
- 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications, including A-level equivalent of a PE or Science subject*
*If you are applying with a BTEC Extended Certificate (previously BTEC Subsidiary Diploma), you will also need an A-level in a science subject or equivalent. We will accept Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Sport Studies or Psychology.
International qualifications
We accept qualifications from all over the world – check yours here:
English language entry requirements
You can meet our language requirements by completing our pre-sessional English course for an agreed length of time or by submitting the required grade in one of our accepted English language tests, such as IELTS:
Undergraduate preparation courses (Foundation)
If you don’t yet meet our entry requirements, we offer Foundation courses through our partner Nottingham Trent International College (NTIC), based on our City Campus:
Advanced standing (starting your undergraduate degree in year 2 or 3)
You may be able to start your undergraduate course in year 2 or 3 based on what you have studied before. This decision would be made in accordance with our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy.
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.
- Complete this simple form to keep in touch with the International Office.
Fees and funding
Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but there’s no need to feel anxious and confused about it. We hope that our fees and funding pages will answer all your questions.
What do the course fees cover?
Your course fees cover the cost of studies and include loads of great benefits, such as the use of our library, support from our expert Employability team, and free use of the IT equipment across our campuses.
Library books
Most study modules recommend one or more core textbooks, which most students purchase. Book costs vary, and further information is available in the University’s bookshop. Our libraries provide a good supply of essential textbooks, journals and materials (many of which you can access online) – meaning you may not need to purchase as many books as you might think! There may also be a supply of second-hand books available for purchase from previous year students.
Placements
If you're undertaking a placement year, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst on placement. Many of our placement students earn a salary whilst on placement, which can help cover these living costs.
Print and copy costs
The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance, please see the Printing, photocopying and scanning information on the Library website.
Students will also be required to pay additional costs for printing, poster preparation and final dissertation copies in their final year - estimated costs of approximately £20 - £30.
CIMSPA Gym Instructor and Personal Trainer qualification - if you choose to take this qualification alongside your degree there will be a small fee to register with CIMSPA. For guidance in 2023 the fee was £75.
Getting in touch
For more advice and guidance, contact our Student Financial Support Service on telephone +44 (0)115 848 2494.
Tuition fees
Tuition fees are payable for each year that you are at the University. The level of tuition fees for the second and subsequent years of your undergraduate course may increase in line with inflation and as specified by the UK government. See our fees for 2022 entry.
Scholarships
We offer scholarships of up to 50% of your tuition fee. You can apply for your scholarship when you have an offer to study at NTU.
Living costs
Get advice on the cost of living as an international student in Nottingham and how to budget:
Paying fees
Find out about advanced payments, instalment plan options and how to make payments securely to the University:
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.
- Complete this simple form to keep in touch with the International Office.
What do the course fees cover?
Your course fees cover the cost of studies, and include loads of great benefits, such as the use of our library, support from our expert Employability team, and free use of the IT equipment across our campuses.
Library books
Most study modules will recommend one or more core text books, which most students choose to purchase. Book costs vary and further information is available in the University’s bookshop. Our libraries provide a good supply of essential text books, journals and materials (many of which you can access online) – meaning you may not need to purchase as many books as you might think! There may also be a supply of second-hand books available for purchase from previous year students.
Placements
If you're undertaking a placement year, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst on placement. Many of our placement students do earn a salary whilst on placement which can help to cover these living costs.
Print and copy costs
The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance please see the Printing, photocopying and scanning information on the Library website.
Students will also be required to pay additional costs for printing, poster preparation and final dissertation copies in their final year - estimated costs approximately £20 - £30.
CIMSPA Gym Instructor and Personal Trainer qualification - if you choose to take this qualification alongside your degree there will be a small fee to register with CIMSPA. For guidance in 2023 the fee was £75.
How to apply
How to apply
Ready to join us? Then apply as soon as you can. Just click the Apply button at the top of the page and follow the application instructions. Make sure you check the entry requirements above carefully before you do.
Writing your application and personal statement.
Be honest, thorough and persuasive in your application. Remember, we can only decide based on what you tell us. So include your qualifications and grades, including resits or predicted grades.
Your personal statement is a really important part of your application. It’s your chance to convince us why we should offer you a place! You’ve got 4,000 characters to impress us. Make sure you use them to show how your skills and qualities are relevant to the course(s) you’re applying for. For more hints and tips, please look at our page on how to write a good personal statement.
Keeping up-to-date
After applying, we’ll send you important emails throughout the application process, so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.
You can get more information and advice about applying to NTU on our Your Application page. Good luck with your application!
You can apply for this course through UCAS. If you are not applying to any other UK universities, you can apply directly to us on our NTU applicant portal.
Application advice
Apply early so you have enough time to prepare – processing times for Student visas can vary, for example. After applying, we'll send you important emails throughout the application process, so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.
Writing your personal statement
Be honest, thorough, and persuasive – we can only make a decision about your application based on what you tell us:
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.
- Complete this simple form to keep in touch with the International Office.
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